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by phoenixnz



Series: Clexmas [9]
Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 14:50:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5544056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixnz/pseuds/phoenixnz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark has to leave</p>
            </blockquote>





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**Author's Note:**

> Lex may seem a little OOC here but I prefer to think that he has learned to express his emotions better by this time. Clark and Lex have been together for a few years (although not living together).

Clark was not happy to get a summons from the fortress, just when things had started to go so well with both school and in his relationship.

“Kal-El.”

“Jor-El,” he said shortly. “Why did you summon me?”

“It is time to complete your training.”

Oh hell no, he thought. This was not going to sit well. Not with his parents and certainly not with Lex.

“I don’t have time.”

“You must, Kal-El. It is imperative that you learn to control your abilities.”

“I’ve been doing just fine on my own.”

“Yet you still have not accomplished the final step.”

“Which is?” Clark asked, dreading the answer. He had found his cousin Kara a few months ago, or rather, Lex had, when he had been constructing one of his facilities at Reeves Dam. His boyfriend, the target of many a meteor freak over the nearly six years they’d known each other, had been studying ways to help those affected and maybe prevent even more psychotic episodes.

Kara could fly, but Clark was still earthbound.

Just as he thought, Jor-El wanted him to learn to fly. They argued back and forth for several minutes, but for a computer, Jor-El could be awfully stubborn. Although Clark supposed it was the fact he was a computer that made him more stubborn, since his arguments were based on logic.

Clark returned to Metropolis, wondering how he was going to tell Lex, or his parents. Jor-El hadn’t given him any kind of timeframe so he had no idea how long he was supposed to go for the training.

As he entered the penthouse, he could hear Lex pottering about in the kitchen. Lex had been learning to cook, although he couldn’t do much yet, but he’d managed at least to learn the basics. He was chopping up some vegetables for a salad, but looked up as Clark came in.

“Hey,” Lex smiled. The smile quickly turned into a frown. “What is it?”

There was no point in delaying the inevitable. Jor-El wanted him to start his training in two days, which was good timing since his classes had finished for the year and he was supposed to be looking for a job over the summer since the Met U Bulletin only published once a month instead of once a week and only paid staff worked in that time.

“You might want to sit down,” Clark said.

Lex’s frown deepened, creating huge furrows on his forehead but he moved around the island to sit on the stool beside Clark.

“Okay, now you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”

“Jor-El. He summoned me to the fortress. He wants me to go for training.”

Lex studied him for a long moment, not saying anything, then his shoulders seemed to sag. He looked … relieved.

“Is that all? Clark, I thought you were dying or something.”

Clark frowned at his boyfriend. “Is that all? Lex, you get what this means, don’t you?”

Lex got up and went back to chopping the vegetables.

“Of course I know what it means, Clark. Instead of getting a job over the summer you’ll be at the fortress.”

“But I don’t know how long I’m going to be there. It could just be a couple of weeks, or it could be a couple of years.”

Lex paused in his chopping to consider that.

“Well, yes, there is that, but Clark, you’ve been fighting this ever since you found out the truth about your origins. I never wanted to bring up the subject because you always seemed to get upset about it, but the truth is, I envy you your abilities. If our positions were reversed, I wouldn’t have fought it.”

Clark stared at him. He couldn’t believe his boyfriend was saying this. Lex seemed to sense that as he put down the chopping knife and came back around to take his hand.

“Clark, this is the reason I never said anything. You know I’ll always have your back, but I do think you’re not living up to your potential. There is a reason your parents sent you here and it’s not just so you can become a world famous journalist. They wanted you to make a difference, and how you do that is with your abilities. That’s all I’m saying. If going to the fortress to train, for however long it takes, is what you need to do to become what this world needs, then I encourage you to go.”

“You won’t miss me?” Clark asked.

“Of course I’ll miss you, but that’s not the point. This is something you need to do.”

He had a point, Clark had to admit that. Still, it kind of surprised him that Lex had given so much thought to it.

It wasn’t until much later in bed that he understood exactly what Lex was sacrificing. They’d been together for almost six years, first as friends, then dating and finally in a committed relationship, although Clark would not actually move in full-time with Lex until he graduated college.

It was the sniffling that made him think that Lex wasn’t as cool and calm about this as he’d tried to pretend.

“Lex, are you crying?”

“No,” his boyfriend replied with a definite tremble in his voice. “Just s-something in my eye.”

Clark rolled over and looked at the bald billionaire. He couldn’t see much in the dim light, but Lex was definitely crying.

It was a prime example of how far Lex had come that he could freely show his emotions, even if he was pretending not to.

“Lex, why are you crying?”

“Because I’m going to miss you so much,” Lex wailed. “Who else is going to laugh at my stupid jokes and tell me when I’m being an idiot and …”

Clark wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and held him.

Two days later, he stood in the main yard of the farm, wishing he could delay things. Mom came out of the house with a package.

“Just some cookies,” she said. “I don’t know if you’ll be able to eat at the fortress, but I …”

He hugged her. “Thanks Mom.” He looked at his father, who was watching Lex gazing out over the fields. The bald man was trying to be stoic but Clark could tell that Lex was really just trying not to fall apart.

“Dad, can you do me a favour?”

“Anything son.”

“Look after Lex. He’s trying not to show it, but I know this is killing him.”

“Don’t worry. We will,” his mother assured him.

Clark bit his lip, glancing at the sun. Jor-El had told him to be at the fortress by sundown Kansas time. Since it was summer in the Arctic, there wasn’t actually a sunset, per se. Not deep in the Arctic where the fortress was.

Clark approached his boyfriend and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Lex said, turning to look at him. “So, I guess you have to go.”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“I promise I’ll do everything in my power to not do anything that would destroy your faith in me.”

“Lex, I trust you. I love you, okay? And I’m proud of you.”

Lex looked surprised, but happy. Clark kissed him goodbye, and took off for the fortress.

“Welcome home, Kal-El,” Jor-El said.

Clark sighed, but stepped forward to submit to his father’s training. He was surrounded by a bright light and some kind of field generating Kryptonian symbols.

For the next few weeks his mind was bombarded with images, his body subjected to trial after trial. He lost all track of time, not sure how long he was locked in the crystal structure.

When he emerged, he wore a blue suit designed like the battle armour the Kryptonian army had once worn, a red cape attached to the neck.

“You are ready, my son,” Jor-El told him. Was it his imagination or did he detect a note of pride in his father’s voice?

Clark took off into the air, flying to Metropolis, landing on the balcony of the penthouse apartment he knew so well. His x-ray vision told him Lex was alone, working on the computer in the study.

Lex came out of the study, glass in hand, seeming about to pour himself a scotch. Clark moved forward through the open door. Sensing the intrusion Lex looked around, then dropped his glass in shock.

“Clark? Is that you?”

“It’s really me, Lex. I’m home.”

“You … my god, what are you wearing?” Clark looked down at the suit and grimaced. It was a bit … bright.

“Uh, it’s a battle suit. It’s Kryptonian.”

Lex smiled fondly. “You and your primary colours.” He stepped forward. “So, do I hug you, or …”

“I can do better than that,” Clark smiled, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and kissing him. Lex moaned softly.

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed that. You’ve been gone for almost two months.”

“Two months? Really?”

Lex nodded. “I’m glad you’re back. Welcome home, Clark.”

“It’s good to be home, Lex.”

“So, tell me all about your training. I guess you can fly now?”

“Yup,” he nodded.

The two men walked out of the living room, ignoring the glass on the floor. Clark figured he’d get it later. 


End file.
